Thursday, April 8, 2010

24 Season 8: Episode 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. question.

Since this post contains spoilers I have made the background color black and the text black. To read the text, highlight the area within the black square.

So, this is my question regarding the episode 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. from season 8 of 24.


When Jack finds President Hassan, the president has already been killed. Yet the video of his being killed, and the guy ranting about his crimes, is still playing. So, between when the terrorist says "I am going to say his crimes and then kill him" and Jack breaking into the room, the terrorists have completed recording the full video, started playing the recorded video, and the video has yet to end.

So, let's say:

X = time of video
Y = time between "I shall read his crimes and then kill him" and the ending of the video after Jack finds president Hassan dead.

It must be the case that (2X < Y), since they had to
1) shoot the video (taking time X)
2) replay the video (taking time X)

It must also be the case that Y does not equal 2X, since
1) There must have been time between "I shall say his crimes and kill him" and the video shoot starting.
2) There must have been time between the ending of the video being recorded, and its being broadcast.

So let's let those times be Z. Which means

[(2X + Z) < Y]

I would need to go back and watch the episode, but does anyone have an idea if, given the content of the episode, it is the case that [(2X + Z) < Y] within the episode as it is presented? Or did they, and this may shock you, fudge the time in 24?


Update: I did the math


Here is the list of Hulu timestamps in

Season 8 Episode 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Hulu

1:12:17 : "I will say his crimes and kill him"
1:13:31 : President starts watching feed of Hassan.
1:16:07 : 07:48:05 commercial break
1:16:12 : 07:52:22 return from break
1:21:02 : Jack sees into room with Hassan for first time
1:21:07 : Jack starts shooting
1:21:30 : Jack sees dead Hassan
1:22:28 : President reacts to Hassan throat slit
1:23:16 : President says "clear the screens"

Alright, math time

Hulu Video Time : Time passed in 24 World

1:12:17 - 1:13:31 : 1:14
1:13:31 - 1:16:07 : 2:36
1:16:07 - 1:16:12 : :05 + 4:17 = 4:22
1:16:12 - 1:21:02 : 4:50
1:21:02 - 1:22:28 : 1:26


X = Full Time of Video
Y = Time between "I will kill him " and "Jack finds president dead", the amount of time during which the video could have been made.

X = (1:13:31 - 1:22:28) = 13:14

2:36 + 4:22 + 4:50 + 1:26
6:58 + 6:16

Y = (1:12:17 - 1:21:02) = 13:02

1:14 + 2:36 + 4:22 + 4:50
3:50 + 9:12
13:02


So, it was not possible for them to have completed filming of the tape and then replay it. So, let's assume that they tape delayed the broadcast. So, what would have to have been the delay? To find this we take X, the full time of the video, and subtract it from Y, which was the full time available to shoot the video.

(Y - X) = -:12
(13:02 - 13:14)

When we do this, we find that, actually, the amount of time the terrorist had to shoot the video, Y, is shorter than the video itself, X. The video is actually 12 seconds longer than the amount of time the terrorists had to shoot the video.


So, to say it simply, the terrorists shot a 13 minute and 14 second video in 13 minutes and 2 seconds.

Which, I guess, makes them terrorists AND time travelers. And you can imagine how that makes me feel.

2 comments:

_J_ said...

Or, given the law of time dilation, it would have to have been the case that the universe of 24, independent of the terrorists, would have to have been traveling at or close to the speed of light, such that time slowed down for the universe of 24, yet continued regularly for the terrorists.

So, the terrorists could have shot a 13 minute and 14 second long video in terrorists time during what, for the universe of 24, was 13 minutes and 2 seconds.

Unless I have that reversed....


Anyway. Either the writers / editors of 24 cannot add, or either the universe of 24, independent of the terrorists, or the terrorists, independent of the universe of 24, traveled at the speed of light.

Roscoe said...

... Jack's warping space to drive undrivable distances over commercial breaks has finally caught up with him, and Presidente Pompadour has sadly paid it's price.